Banjo



(No Model.)

B. BRADBURY.

BANJO.

Patented Aug. 15, 1882.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

BENJAMIN BRADBURY, OF BROOKLYN, NE YORK.

BANJO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 262,564, dated August 15, 1882.

AppneauonnieaMarciiirisse. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMTN BRADBURY,

of the city of Brooklyn, in the county ot' Kings and State of New York, haveinvented certain Improvements in Musical Instruments, ot' which the following is a specitication.

The object ot this invention is to give to the banjo a softness and purity of tone resembling and approximating to that of the violin, and also to so reduce the length and diameter ot the staff that the strings may be manipulated with the iingers ot' the left hand throughout the whole range of octaves usual in the instrument, thereby enabling the latter to be usedin the production of substantially the same range and class of -inusic as the violin itself, this having been impossible with the banjo as hitherto constructed.

The invention is also designed to enable the banjo to be set or tuned at the same concertpitch with the piano, the violin, the., and played in unison therewith, it being a serious defect in the ordinary banjo that this cannot be done, inasmuch as in practice it is always necessary to tune the banjo either above or below the accompanying instruments in order that the same may approximate unity of sound therewith. rFliese objects I secure by a novel proportion and relative ratio ot' length and breadth in certain essential portions ot' the instrument, all as hereinafter explained.

My invention also comprises certain other novel combinations of parts whereby the contact of the shell ofthe banjo with the person of the player is prevented 'from diminishing the volume or quality of the tone; also, whereby the box and the staff are so strengthened in relation with each other that the strings, instead or" being sprung to a considerable distance from the face of the stati', are retained close to but not in contact with the said face, and are thereby much more easily operated by the iingers of the left hand than with the banjo ofordinary construction, in which the strain of the strings tends to spring them away from the face of the staff; also, whereby the hoops which sustain the parchment-head ot' the instrument are suspended within the box and at suitable distance therefrom `by very simple, strong, and effective devices.

The most prominent feature or" myinvention lies in the proportion of the distance between the bridge upon the parchment and the nut of the stati", the latter being provided with the usual frets with reference to the diameter of the parchment, by which means, as has been discovered, greater volume and purity of tone is given to the instrument, the staftl is shortcned, and the distance between the frets is so reduced that the octaves are brought within the reach ofthe lingers of the left hand without materially moving the thumb or bearin g of the hand upon the stati'. rlhis enables theinstrument to be played by the relatively small handsof women and children with a compass substantially equal to that ofthe violin and for substantiallythesamereason-namely,thatthe different octaves can be reached by the fingers without the waste of time necessarily incurred A when the whole hand is moved from its contact or bearing upon the staff; also, whereby the power of the instrument is increased and the tones ot" its strings are advantageously modied to give a softer and more impressive sound.

Figure l is a plan view. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a side view ofone part of my saidinvention. Fig. iis a cross-section taken in the line r nv ot Figs. l and 2. Fig. 5 is a detail view on an enlarged scale of one portion thereof, and Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view, showing one detail of my said invention, Figs. l to 4, inclusive, being drawn to a scale exactly onehalf the dimensions of a working instrument.

A is the usual box, and B is the inner portion or essential part of the statt' of thc instrument, the drawings representing the outer end of the staff as broken away.

At ais what is technically termed the nut77 of the stati', this being the support which opcrates, in conjunction with the bridge b, in determining the active or vibrating length ot' thm' strings. A

In the upper surface oi' the stattB are thel tirets c, which are tixed to the statt in the/usual manner, but which have the relative/distance apart represented in the drawingsJFigs. land 2, the said iigures having one-hal/t the dimensions ot' a working instrumena/although said dimensions, but not the pr/l'iortions ot' the parts, may be changed witbin certain limits.

The parchment C is strladned upon the inner hoop, b', by means oi' tlpc outer hoop, e, which IOO bears upon the rim a' of the parchment. Upon the outer hoop, e, are radial lugs f, which are coincident with similar lugs, g, on the inner hoop, b', the 'said inner hoop being of greater width or depth than the other, so that its lower edge projects below the rim of the parchment.

Provided to the inner circumference of the box A are ears h, coincident in position with 1o the lugs fand g. To each set ot' lugs fand g and ear h is a screw, z', the head b of which bears upon the upper surface of the lugs f,

and the threaded portion of which is screwed into a nut formed in the coincident lugs g,

while the lower extremity of said screw is screwed into a nut provided in the adjacent ear h. Each screwt'therefore serves the double purpose of assisting to strain the parchment by tending to draw inward the outer hoop, e,

2o and at the same time affords a connection between the two hoops e and b and the ear afixed to the interior of the box A, as aforesaid.

Several sets of the parts justdescrlbed may be placed at intervals around the inner circumference of the box, to sustain the parchment within and concentric with the said circumference of the box and at any requisite distance therefrom. Where Ilot required for the attachment, as aforesaid, of the parchment to 3o the box, the combination ofthe lugs and ears with the screw may be dispensed with, and the screw may be used in connection with the lugs of the two hoops to aid simply'in stretching the parchment.

The box A may have the usual bottom or back, A. Outside of this is placed a shell, D, the circumference ot' which is concentric with the box A and with a space of, say, one-eighth ot' an inch between its inner circumference and 4o the outer circumference of the said box. This shell D is also provided with a bottom or back, B', between which and the bottom of the box A should be a space of, say, one-quarter of an inch.' This outer shell is attached to the box A by studs or blocks C', interposed between the backs or bottoms of the two parts and cemented or otherwise secured in place. When the instrument is in use the outer shell is brought in contact with the person of the 5o player, and thereby protects the box A against such contact and against the deterioration in sound and tone which ordinarily occurs when the box A is itself brought in contact with an external object. The outer shell should be 55: 'provided with any desired number of openings \T`, by which the said shell is prevented from ncifding the resonance of the box.

The strings F, of the usual or any suitable numb er, are in duplicatethat is to say, each 6o string is composed of two ordinary strings, separatel indicated by the reference-letter r. These two Rlrts r of each string F are tuned 1n unison, so\\that the said two parts act together; but, as`\l have ascertained in practice,

the vibration of `he two parts constitute, by their unity of tone, a single string producing a more melodious, stronger, and softer vtone than when the string is composed of but one wire or catgut, as the case may be.

As before remarked, the drawings represent the essential parts of the instrument as having one-half the dimensions in every direction ot' an instrument constructed for and capable of' use; So far as concerns a leading feature of my said invention, the matter of proportion between the parts is one of vital importance. Thus, for example, the distance between the inner edge of the nut a and the coincident inner edge of the bridge b in the working instrument from which Figs. l and 2 are taken is sixteen inches and three-sixteenths of an inch, and the actual diameter of the circular parchmentis seven inches and five-eighthsof an inch. The distance between the several frets c is in practice twice the measurement (for an instrument having the distance between the nut and bridge herein set forth) shown in the drawings,

Figs. 1 and 2, the twelfth fret, counting from the nut a, being midway between the said nut and the bridge, the bridge furthermore, measuringfrom its inner side, being situate two inches and three-sixteen ths of an inch from that edge of the parchment most remote from the nut. I have found by actual trial that these proportions secure to the instrument an unusual depth and delicacy of tone, and enable that portion of the stati" between the nut a and the box A to be made so short that in playing all the usual octaves of an instrumentof this character can be controlled by the lingers of the lefthand (ordinarily used for this purpose) without materially moving the thumb from its stationary place upon the statt, thereby permitting a rapidity of execution never hitherto obtained with this class of musical instruments, inasmuch as with those hitherto made the sta' has necessarily been of such length that a considerable movement ot' the hand is necessary for any manipulation of the strings between the limits of the octaves usual with su'chinstruments, this movement of the hand necessarily occupying an appreciable length of time, and thereby limiting the capabilities of the instrument.

Within the box A, below the parchment C thereof, is a tubular metallic brace, G, upon each end of which is respectively secured a hollow nut, G and G. The position of this brace is substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of theinstrument.

Provided to the inner side of the box A at each end of the said brace G is a boss or buttres'spiece, H, into which is screwed a screw,

which it may be turned into place, and with a rounded projection or bulb, p, which lits into the adjacent end of the nut G or G, as the case may be, and thereby retains the same against lateral displacement. The nuts form broad bearings for the ends of the brace, and by turning one of them-preferably the nut '-the available length of the said brace may bcincreased or diminished. When increased its tendency is to throw do wnward the outerlend IOO IIO

IIS

El', provided with an octagonal head, h', by

of the staff with reference to the plane of the parchment, and vice versa, this ofcourse changin gthe relative position of the fretted surface ot' the statt with reference to the strings F passed along the same, the brace also serving` to give greater strength and rigidity to the instrument, and, by the adjustment just hereinbefore described, enabling the distance between the strings and the statt' to be adj usted at will at a slight distan ce when a comparatively light tone is desired and when the hand ot' the player is comparatively slender or weak, as in the case of women and children. When a strong tone is desired, or when the instrument is to be adapted to the use ot' a player having` strong and tirm iingers, the distance between the strings and the adjacent surface ot1 the statt' is increased by expanding the length of the brace by turning the brace as aforesaid. By making the brace G tubular, as shown, sut'- iicient strength and stiffness are secured without the inordinate weight which would be incurred if the said brace were made of solid metal. lt is ot' course to be understood that so far as concerns the diameters ofthe strings these are matters of judgment in their selection, it being impossible to correctly indicate such minute diameters in the drawings.

l. A banjo or musical instrument having the folowing size and proportions, to wit: sixteen inches and three sixteenths from the inner edge of the nut a to the coincident edge of the bridge b, seven inches and iive-eighths across the parchment, and the relative distances between the frets herein specifically described, these special proportionsin this particular size of instrument producing the advantageous results herein more particularly set forth.

2. A banjo-head constructed with the inner or usual box, A, and an outer shell, B, with an open space, a, between the said box and shell and extending around the sides and baci; or bottom thereof", and studs or blocks Gf, interposed at intervals between the box and shell to retain the former out of contact with the latter and to prevent the transmission of sound from the former to the latter, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. The tubular metallic brace G, placed within the box A underneath the parchment C and strings F, and in relation with the end ot' the stai' B, and a nut, substantially as described, for longitudinally adjusting the said brace, the whole combined to adjust the position ofthe staff with reference to the box and strings, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

4. The combination of the lugs g of the hoop b', screws 1'., passing through nuts formed in the said lugs, the lugsf of the honp @,having their outer ends underneath the heads of the screws t', the brackets It ol the box A, said brackets having nuts receiving the threads ol'the screws t' coincident with the nuts ot' the lugs g, and the parchment C, attached to the hoop e and strained over the hoop b,the whole constructed, combined, and arranged to attach the hoops b and c and parchment C to the box ot' the instrument by means of the same screws that serve to strain the parchment upon the hoop b', substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

5. The combination ofthe screws Hf, having bulbs 79, with the brace G, having nuts G and G, and the buttresses H, within the box A, having the statt B, all substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

' BENJAMIN BRADBURY.

Witnesses Ronr. W. Mar'rnnws, Trioims E. CaossMAN. 

